Itasca reviews expanded rear-yard drainage assistance program after 2018 floods

Itasca village staff presented an update on the village's rear-yard drainage assistance program, reviewing eligibility, use since a major May 2018 rainfall event and related stormwater initiatives. The presentation described how the program works, how often it has been used and the capped reimbursement the village provides to homeowners.

The update matters to Itasca homeowners because the program helps residents pay for engineered solutions when stormwater causes structural damage or when water stands on private property for more than 72 hours. Village staff also described steps the village has taken to track flood reports and to coordinate small-scale and larger infrastructure work.

Mark, Public Works engineer, said the village first surveyed residents after a heavy 2018 rainfall that included a 3.4-inch event in roughly 90 minutes and used the responses to categorize complaints into sanitary sewer backups, stormwater entering structures, yard flooding and street flooding. He said the program is available only to Itasca residents and sets eligibility thresholds: stormwater must cause damage to a structure or stand on the property for more than 72 hours, multiple contiguous homes may qualify and the property must not have outstanding code violations or unpaid fees. "The highest use is the rear yard drain where they would actually install some type of drainage system in their rear yards and pipe it out to the village's storm sewer system," Mark said.

The program requires a formal building permit and three contractor quotes; the village performs engineering review, inspects construction and reimburses after the resident provides proof of payment. Mark said the village reimburses up to 50% of the cost, capped at $3,000 per residence, and the village waives permit fees for approved projects. Since May 2018 staff conducted 146 site visits (55 in 2018 alone), and 25 projects reached reimbursement; the village's total reimbursements to date are just over $75,000. The village also established a $750 per-resident allocation for site visits and recorded about $17,000 in permit-review costs tied to the program.

Carrie Ann, Village Administrator, emphasized improved record-keeping: the village now stores resident reports in an asset-management system (ViewWorks) so staff can see address-based histories of reported flooding — a capability staff lacked in 2018. "Previously... staff had no way to answer those questions because there was no method to track it," she said, noting the database helps staff identify repeat problem locations.

Staff described complementary programs: a rain-barrel rebate run with the Conservation Foundation that reimburses $35 per barrel (up to three per residence) and has resulted in about 182 rain barrels distributed since 2023; and partnerships with the Center for Neighborhood Technology to provide RainReady brochures and low-cost lot-level practices. Mark and Carrie Ann also summarized larger capital work the village is pursuing, including Broker Street storm-sewer work (an estimated $100,000 public-works-built project), planned phases of roadway-and-infrastructure improvements, and a planned Shiller Pond BMP as part of the capital-improvement program. Overall, staff said the village has invested more than $25 million in stormwater infrastructure over roughly 20 years, with several multi‑million-dollar roadway phases tied to stormwater improvements.

Board members asked about long-term maintenance responsibility (staff confirmed improvements constructed under the program remain the homeowner's responsibility), whether existing private drains could qualify for replacement (staff said yes, if they no longer function and the property otherwise meets eligibility), and how the village ensures engineered installations avoid backflow or other hazards (staff said engineering review and permitting are intended to prevent those outcomes). Mark said the village provides site visits and engineering support to reduce the need for homeowners to hire private engineers and increase program adoption.

Staff said the program is a one-time benefit per property and that applications are judged case-by-case. They encouraged residents with recurring yard flooding to contact Public Works to trigger the desk review and site visit process.